Orange Lake From Over Yonder

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

It looks to me that the owners are getting the top rooms and the exchangers although not in my cases are getting the scanty rooms. 2 times I have stayed here and both times were good experiences. The first time the rooms were OK nothing great as it was in the older area near the Lodge. I think they were golf or tennis villas. The 2nd time was a new unit in north village. I did not look at the room like my wife looked at it the first time. I feel in love with the resort and all the grand amenities. My friends that were with me the last time also said it was a great place and would go back again.
BTW I am not an owner

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

It looks to me that the owners are getting the top rooms and the exchangers although not in my cases are getting the scanty rooms. 2 times I have stayed here and both times were good experiences. The first time the rooms were OK nothing great as it was in the older area near the Lodge. I think they were golf or tennis villas. The 2nd time was a new unit in north village. I did not look at the room like my wife looked at it the first time. I feel in love with the resort and all the grand amenities. My friends that were with me the last time also said it was a great place and would go back again.
BTW I am not an owner

Frank the issue is not about OLCC being a nice or great resort here. The resort is actually very nice with tons of amenities. The issue is owners plowing into exchangers that say the place is so-so. I believe if you get a 3 Bedroom or better this is certainly not the case. If you get a 2 Bedroom you have a 50/50 chance. To be perfectly honest I liked the golf villas. No one above you and you park right outside your frontdoor BUT my simple DBR will offer you the same plain vanilla. Fine if you are expecting plain vanilla.

My exception is the OLCC mystique. Superb units in the Most Fabulous resort. That is NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. I take exception and umbrage to folks that defend this place to the nines when they have simple and completely acceptable units there but refuse to let exchangers speak about the short-comings to the resort.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I was going to say this in my last post, when Frank was talking about how well he liked the resort.

That is not the topic. The topic is exactly what Lawren said here, people who appear to be so self-centered so as to disallow the likes or dislikes of others to be heard. To stifle dissenting opinions.

Tongue-in-cheek, I started a thread a year ago in January after a visit to Orange Lake, our latest in a series that started almost 20 years ago when there was only what is now the West Village. I entitled it "Where Never is Heard a Discouraging Word!"

We heard plenty of it that week. Not by me or my family, cuz we had a fine time. But when I shared the truth of what we heard from others and what we had seen, the end result of the dispute that ensued was that some cannot now post at all Over Yonder and others are close to that.

The reason for that is simply that some owners took exception to the facts I posted.

Is that the way it should be?

I am also trying to avoid this being an us v. them thing, cuz it is not. It is a lesson to be learned and the same thing could happen here if those here are not tolerant of others.

Frank the issue is not about OLCC being a nice or great resort here. The resort is actually very nice with tons of amenities. The issue is owners plowing into exchangers that say the place is so-so.

I take exception and umbrage to folks that defend this place to the nines when they have simple and completely acceptable units there but refuse to let exchangers speak about the short-comings to the resort.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Come on, Jim. I remember that thread. Yeah, it flamed out of control. But, you've got to admit, you were trying to stir the pot as much or more than you were trying to post factual information.

Vickie is like your kid sister. You keep jabbing her and she comes back with a right cross every time. Then, you say, "what? I was only touching you because I love you"

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I'm not so sure about that, Boca. I seem to have trouble with Vickies myself, but fortunately I seldom talk about OL, unless someone challenges me to post there. Who was that guy that got me to post on the BBQ topic ?

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I'm not so sure about that, Boca. I seem to have trouble with Vickies myself, but fortunately I seldom talk about OL, unless someone challenges me to post there. Who was that guy that got me to post on the BBQ topic ?

Oh, maybe that was me I was talking about. LOL.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Boca:

You will likely find these comments as baiting, but it strikes me that labeling yourself the Truth Enforcer is exactly the same thing she is saying, that her role is to protect the world from non-owners spreading falsehoods.

As many know, Jenny and I have a lot of experience in that regard, people who believe what they believe is the truth and what others believe, if it is different, is not.

I started this to see if the problem might really be just me or all me. A couple here appear to believe that is the case. At the same time, the others have had problems similar to mine. I believe they believe they would have the same problem if they continued to address it/counter it/provide some balance.

I also believe that those who have commented here do not even begin to scratch the surface. Most people avoid issues with other people, even though the issues bother them.

I get emails regularly from people I do not know, saying what I am saying here, stuff like:

"I just cringe when I see a post regarding OLCC by Vickie. . . Keep doing what you're doing. The only thing that keeps me from cringing completely out of my skin when I see her post regarding OLCC is seeing you post also."

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

My eight or so years of experience on these forums tells me that it is time to wrap this up, before it turns down that dark alley.

If this was Slimy Slough, an insignificant little out-of-the-way resort with a scum pond instead of River Island, no one would care, but this is the largest single-campus resort in the world with a gazillion owners. No one person should dominate the information and opinions about it, IMO.

Any ideas on how to deal with this issue?

1. Attempt to notify management Over Yonder. The rules Over Yonder say to handle it this way, but that is problematic.

2. Attempt to notify the perp, perhaps by sending her a link to this thread. Of course, the shortcoming in that is that I put all of you up to this since I started this thread. There are OL owners here who also contribute Over Yonder, but who are more diplomatic. Perhaps one of you could point this issue out to her, suggesting that in her zealousy she may be hurting her own cause.

4. Attempt to notify her via the bbs Over Yonder, in such a manner that it does not violate the rules against personal criticism.

5. Continue to attempt to post our own opinions and ignore her.

6. Do nothing. Turn OL over to her altogether.

7. Anything else.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I don't find it baiting at all. In fact, I find it refreshing. I am an engineer by training. So, to me, everything is a hypothesis and a prediction. If the prediction was wrong, then I change the hypothesis. I am indeed committed to a fact based truth. I'll call it like it is. I like how you post. You're provocative and so am I.

But, there is a story behind the label Truth Enforcer that I'll tell you later. It has to deal with the self imposed limitations that a moderator must place on themselves. By changing my label to Truth Enforcer, I am compelled to point out bogus arguments. It helps to explain why I do it.

I would say that the primary difference between me and some of the people you may be pointing out is that I can argue both sides of an issue. For instance, I can argue vigorously the rationale behind weeks based trading and the DeHaan model. Start another thread and I'll take the Carolinian position and I'll be persuasive in defending it. Let's see if you can find a weeks supporter vigorously defend the points position. It's not human nature to do it. But, if you are committed to the truth, you listen to all the arguments, come up with a framework for evaluating all positions, apply your own judgement and preferences and come up with your own unique conclusions to a situation.

I, too, hate when people try to color a situation without evaluating the facts.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I guess when you are a scientist, you are used to having your theories attacked. You don't take it personally, you just try to evaluate and defend your position with logic and facts. The more it is attacked, the more finely tuned the arguments get and the closer to the truth you get. I spent a whole career doing it on a daily basis. So, it is second nature to me.

It does offend many people who would rather just everyone be friends and get along. It is a different style. I find the internet as the best place for these types of vetting of ideas because normally, there is an open embracing of criticism. Timesharing is the one exception I've found.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I moved on, back to the OP.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Bottom line is ... since Orange Lake Country Club is the largest timeshare resort in the world, of course you are going to hear pros and cons from people.

As far as someone mentioning exchangers getting older units, that's just not true. The OP (an exchanger) has stayed in 3 bedroom units in the North and newest East Village, so that theory definitely does not hold water.

Katmandu. I have always viewed you as a truth enforcer, too.

[Icc5 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icc5]

My take as an owner at Orange Lake

As of today, we have never stayed though we have owned for about 17 years and our week usually falls during the 4th of July. We will be going there for the first time starting the 3rd week in June. I will tell you if our two bedroom is good or not but it is good or bad for my family. We have been to tons of timeshares that other people thought were great and we thought they were OK. One resort of the 120 or so we've been to we hated and it was a Gold Crown. Another we didn't care for and a few were so so and all were Gold Crown rated.
It comes down to this for us. Some Resorts were great for us when we traveled with the kids but not so without them. Some would have been much better with more kid friendly amenities. To each their own. When we give a review or tell friends it is based on our judgement, not yours. That is why it is nice for a review to be complete and not just how we hated or loved it but the exact reasons. I know some people at a great resort hate it because of bad weather. Some love it because it was right on the beach.
We are owners in Worldmark and here how much people love Depo Bay during the winter because of the storms and wave breaks. That would not be for me but again, people rave about it.
Final thought, if you love it then it is great for you but don't tell anyone else that something they dislike is great because, remember, they dislike it.
Bart

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Wow Bart!!! You have us beat.

We have timeshared for almost 20 years and have only stayed at a resort where we own once.

We owned three weeks at one resort and only went to it the year after we first bought, to buy the other half of the EOY. We never stayed there again.

Where we own now we also own 3 weeks, and have owned there for 14 years. We have never stayed there.

I understand us, being as our resorts are truly crappy resorts, but an OL owner going 17 years without staying there. That has to be some kind of record!

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I Have To Laugh

Anyone notice the post by BassAngler Over Yonder?

With all the hub-bub about the North Village, he asked a North Village question, where is his building located, oblivious to what was going on!

Then, someone else just asked about getting five consecutive weeks there, and two people recalled my comments about the Aussies in the hot tub from 15 months ago.

It has a life of it's own.